Agencement indésirables
by i-love-tea-and-coffee
Summary: In which Courfeyrac is pulled into an arranged marriage, and the consequences aren't particularly desirable.
1. Chapter 1

Agencement indésirables

An unwanted arrangement.

Summary: In which Courfeyrac is pulled into an arranged marriage, and the consequences aren't particularly desirable.

Chapter 1

A/N: This is the first story I've ever posted on this site, but I've read on here for almost a year, and I like to think I kind of know how things work. This story is like SleepingwithinWater's Teacher of Man because I was inspired by the arranged marriage idea and it kind of exploded from there.

Disclaimer: I dooooont own anything.

Rated MA for language and adult themes.

"An arranged marriage?!"

Courfeyrac stared up at his mother and father in disgust, as they both looked down at him from where they were standing.

He had come home to his small apartment after a night at the Muslin, were a horse and carriage had been waiting for him at the front of the building, in which he had been whisked away to his parent's manor.

"The bride has already been decided." his mothers tone was reassuring. "She is daughter of a rich bourgeoisie who is willing to lend us a great deal of money for the tying of our two families."

The Courfeyrac's had once had everything. Aiden had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and as much as he loved his family, which was made up of him, his parents, and his two sisters, he had decided to move to Paris to study law at the university. It was there that he became a member of les Amis, and a fierce supporter of the student revolution that was to come in ten months time.

"If you choose to go through with it, the ceremony will be held next month. The two of you are to meet only once before the wedding, which will be within the next two weeks." his father sounded tired, which was not a surprise, given his families recent bankruptcy. "Please Aiden, this is our last chance."

Had it not been for the pleading look in his parent's eyes, and the idea of his family moving into his cramped apartment in Paris, or even worse, the four of them living in the slums, he wouldn't have said yes.

***

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?!"

Courfeyrac winced at Enjolras' shout.

"So wait." Combeferre stated. "You agreed to marry a girl so that your family wouldn't lose all their money?"

Courfeyrac sighed and slumped over in his chair. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

"The ceremony will be in a month, and I shall be able to come back to Paris soon I expect. I don't wish to spend time with my wife."

Honestly, Courfeyrac expected the girl he was engaged to be some snobby, rich girl at least a year or two older than him, with no sense of humour at all. He had created a grotesque image in his head of a woman with mousy brown ringlets, and a couple of warts, that was stick thin and never smiled at anyone. She also had a big nose.

He had at least thought to find out the name of his wife, this showed he had some scrap of common sense left.

Her name was Odette Bousquet, and her family were richer than most. Their fathers had worked in business together, and he had met the man at various fundraising events. He was rather strict, and you only spoke around him if you were spoken to. His salt and pepper moustache had not changed length in-between any of their meetings, and his wife was a mouse like women, with big grey eyes and blonde curls.

"Odette is a nice name." Jehan, ever the optimist, said encouragingly, causing Courfeyrac to give him a look. "I mean she can't be that bad, can she?"

"She comes from a rich background and both her mother and father make regular public appearances for their business. She'll be a snobby virgin, no doubt about it."

The last comment earned him a couple of looks from his friends and a hit around the head with a tea-towel from Musichetta.

***

Guys I wrote this in like twenty minutes and it's really crappy but it's the first time I've posted work on this site so yeah. The next chapter is already written and is a lot longer.


	2. Chapter 2

**A week and a half later.**

* * *

Courfeyrac had once again travelled to his mother and fathers small manor home were they and his sisters lived, though this time he had one thought on his mind.

He did not like Odette Bousquet, whoever she was.

Even if she was a flirty, witty girl or a kind, wise and calm mother-like figure, he wouldn't like her. He knew it.

Even if she was the most beautiful and kind young woman in the world, no matter how hard he tried, he would never get along with her.

He would probably be expected to have children with her. The thought made him shiver. He didn't want _children_, he wanted to live life as he had been before he found out about the engagement, he missed just being able to spend time with his friends, taking a number of women to his bed each week, planning the revolution and studying at the university.

If he was to continue his education, something he was determined to do, then he would still be able to live in Paris. Though _Odette_ would have to live with him. The thought disgusted him.

He hated Odette Bousquet.

* * *

It was late afternoon as Courfeyrac watched from the window as the three carriages pulled into their stone driveway. Both his parents were waiting to meet his new in-laws, along with the woman he was to marry.

The doors to the first carriage opened, and the Bousquet's stepped out of their carriage, an open look of disgust on Madame Bousquet's face that he could see from his front-facing bedroom window.

He could barely see it, but Monsieur Bousquet's face remained neutral as he ignored his wife and looked upon his parents. His father was giving the old man a fake smile, whilst his mother looked uncertainly at the soon to be mother in law.

Courfeyrac held his breath as the four of them turned to the opening door of the second carriage.

The process was agonizingly slow, and Courfeyrac let out a large breath of air when the door finally opened.

Out stepped a petite girl, with long brown hair pushed over one shoulder. She was wearing a slightly poufy ugly blue dress, and he couldn't quite distinguish her facial features.

She was immediately ushered into the house by her parents, and as his parents trailed behind, he saw his mother's eye glancing up at him through the window, causing him to duck out of view quickly.

He hadn't gotten a clear view of her, but she looked pompous and annoying either way.

* * *

Courfeyrac shuffled awkwardly in his tight black cravat, surrounded by business men, and family members. Both his parents and his in-laws weren't present, so he was left to stand with his three younger sisters in the middle of the room.

Marie was a year younger than him, and was not yet engaged, insisting that she remain a bachelorette for the rest of her life.

She was a stubborn feminist, and lived in a villa with a few friends of hers in Bordeaux. She was similar to Courf looks-wise, with curly brown hair and a strong brow line, with deep chocolate eyes and a round jaw.

Agnés was fourteen, with waist length blond hair and big chocolate brown eyes. She was an intelligent young girl, and had decided from a young age that she wanted to become a tutor to young children. She was shy and quite, unlike everyone else in the family, and unlike her older siblings, stuck to rules strictly.

Lastly, there was Renée, who was only nine years old. She was incredibly close with Courfeyrac, and he often wrote her letters about life in Paris. She had originally been upset about Courf's marriage, but the thought of Odette excited her. She imagined her to be some sort of princess, when in reality, she was just a girl with rich parents. Nobody dared deny Odette Bousquet's 'nobility' around Renée, for they knew that tears would start falling from her big brown eyes, that would go on to stain her round and freckled cherub face.

The event had already started, and old men and woman were milling around whilst he waited by the edge of the room with his sisters. The gathering wasn't being held just for the young couples meeting. The business' both Courfeyrac and Bousquet ran were planning to exchange money and become a partnership once the knot had been tied, and so the party was more sociable that business.

Courfeyrac felt a tap on his shoulder, and spun around to see his father staring at the door, which still had guests occasionally entering through it.

"Her, her mother and your mother will walk through that door in two minutes." he spoke quickly and under his breath, before walking away briskly to talk to a colleague.

He turned back around to see Renée looking up at him excitedly, the other two both looking quite concerned.

Marie and Agnés both new of Courfeyrac's hatred towards his new wife, and at first, Marie had tried to change his mind, giving in to his stubbornness, and Agnés eventually decided she didn't like the poor young woman either.

"Will she be here soon?" Renée asked, her eyes lighting up, stark contrast to Agnés, who was scowling. Though intelligent, and curious yet shy, Agnés was just as stubborn, and sometimes as immature, as Courfeyrac.

"Sadly yes." the little girl squealed with excitement.

Courf looked up at Marie, who was giving him a look. "Don't be too pessimistic Courf, she's probably a nice young lad-"

"Shut up Marie."

"Bastard." he heard her mutter under her breath, as too avoid Renée hearing. Courfeyrac stuck his tongue out at her and Agnés let out a giggle.

"Why you little-" Marie was cut off by Renée's little hand pulling on her gown, as she turned to look at her youngest sister.

"She's here she's here!"

* * *

**A/N: Bum bum bummmmm cliff hanger. Again, a shortish chapter and I'm very sorry to say that next chapter is as well, but after chapter 3, things will be a lot longer.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews!**

* * *

Odette stared out of the wide open window of the jostling carriage. Both her parents were in a separate, larger, grander carriage, probably with a bed or two, whilst she got a smaller carriage to herself.

She pushed her plait over her shoulder and laid down on her seat, wrapping her arms around a stray pillow.

She had known of the engagement for months now, she was to be wed to Aidan Courfeyrac in two weeks, and today she would finally get to meet him. The thought made her heart leap with joy and her stomach plummet to the ground. She was both excited and nervous.

Aidan Courfeyrac was twenty one years of age, two years older than her. Monsieur Bousquet spoke highly of his father, his law firm, and Aidan himself. However, she had heard whispers between maids and housekeepers whenever the topic of her fiancé was bought up.

In the end he had confronted a young maid, Marie, who she liked to think she was friends with, and had discovered her husband to be quite the womanizer. She didn't know how to feel about this.

The only relationship she had ever been in had been with a stable boy called Henri, when she was fourteen years old. They held hands for a bit, then he kissed her on the cheek. It lasted for a day and he had soon left for better employment in a richer household. She didn't know what Aidan Courfeyrac would be expecting from her, considering his experiences.

"Carriages halt!" the shout from her carriage driver pulled her from her thoughts, and she quickly clambered to stick her head out of the window.

"What is happening, Monsieur?"

"Don't fret," he chided her, "it is just that the horses need to rest Mademoiselle."

She nodded at him, smiling, before leaving the window and prancing across the entirety of the small compartment, before opening the door open wide, and jumping out of the door.

Her bare toes curled up at the fresh grass, as she looked across the field they had stopped next to, the early September sun shining. Her parents carriage had stopped as well, but both were inside with the curtains drawn, and a third carriage was trailing behinds hers, filled with her families necessities, which included her wedding dress, which she had luckily not had the misfortune of being forced to wear yet.

She took opportunity of her parent's absence and twirled around in the long grass. Her dress was a simple light blue colour, one of the only dresses she was genuinely fond of. Her mother had strictly said that she must wear her corset, though she had loosened it slightly in the carriage. Her feet were bare and her dark brown hair was plaited into a braid, something she wasn't allowed to do with it every time she made a public appearance.

She laid down in the grass and stared up at the clear blue sky. It was a perfect day, and she longed to sit outside for hours and hours, and forget about her parents, her fiancé, the rules she had to follow. And yet, she was trapped inside a small carriage with nobody for company.

Of course, she couldn't help but make assumptions about the man she was marrying. How would he treat her? Would she be stuck inside all day, alone, or would she be able to do what she wanted?

Their living arrangements were not yet decided. They were to choose once they were married. She hoped that she would have a say in the matter, though there wasn't much of a chance of that, given her womanly status.

"Mademoiselle, we shall arrive with the next ten minutes." the carriage driver called back to her.

"_Merde_", she cursed under her breath in a most unladylike manner, grabbing her stockings and shoes from where they were scattered on the floor, and struggling with her corset, the ribbons getting tangled in her fingertips.

* * *

The Courfeyrac family seemed nice enough, and as she was rushed through the halls by her parents, she saw that the house was much more homely and welcoming than theirs.

Her parents were shown into a room, and the mother of her fiancé opened the door to hers. It was somewhat large and had an oak four poster bed with simple white sheets, and a wooden dressing table.

She turned to the brown haired woman holding the door open and gave her a small smile and a quick thank you, turning to the large window showing the gardens as the door closed behind her. Shortly after the maid that had been travelling in the carriage with her parents dragged two chests of clothes into her room, before Odette rushed over to help her.

"Honestly Alzelma, you didn't have to." the maid gave a small smile, before Odette's mothers hollering voice could be heard from across the hall.

She dismissed herself hurriedly, and Odette lay on her back, feeling the soft bed sheets wrapping around her as her arms reached out, before she fell into a light sleep.

* * *

She was woken not long after byher frustrated mother.

"Odette wake up, you are to meet your husband in an hour." The young woman nodded silently, not bothering to correct her mother on the fact that she wasn't yet married.

The next forty-five minutes were spent making Odette look 'presentable'. Alzelma brushed through Odette's tangled hair with a brush, carefully and calmly, before Madame Bousquet took over, yanking the fine toothed comb through her daughter's hair repeatedly.

She then had her hair piled upon her hair in an unattractive mess, which led to a few minutes of her mother staring at her in the mirror with a scrutinizing look.

"That won't do." she concluded, pulling the pins out, "You look a mess."

Alzelma offered to help, and ended up pinning back half of Odette's curls so that they were pulled out of her face.

"That'll do." her mother shrugged her failure off, before getting to work on pushing her daughter into a tight corset and hanging a wooden construction off her hips, quickly covering it with mountains of mint green skirts.

She then applied a red powder to her cheeks and lips, before declaring her work was done, and hurrying away to her own room to prepare.

* * *

_'This dress is very uncomfortable '_the wooden contraption underneath Odette's dress was causing her to walk along awkwardly as she hurried through the hall behind her mother and Madame Courfeyrac.

"Don't worry my dear, he's a wonderful young man, he just needs a bit of...convincing." her mother's 'reassurance' was not at all helpful, and she could feel herself growing more and more nervous.

"He'll know who you are because I told him that you would be entering the room with me." Madame Courfeyrac, who she decided she rather liked, said as they continued to walk along briskly. "No one will really be paying attention, most of the guests will have no idea who you are."

"Thank you Madame."

"Please, call me Jeanette." the middle-aged woman smiled back at Odette, and she gave an unladylike grin back.

Her stomach plummeted to the ground when they finally reached the double doors at the end if the hallway.

"Right darling." her mother pulled a tuft of hair behind her ear and turned back to the door. "This is it."

* * *

**A/N: aw shit things are actually happening what. (also sorry this is short)**


	4. Update

Sorry I haven't updated for a while, sadly this is because I've been on a lot of holidays lately. I'll probably not be able to update for a while, so sorry about that :(


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